SF Rec and Parks’ Randall Museum to Open After $9 Million Renovation

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SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and Randall Museum Friends (RMF) proudly announce the opening of the Randall Museum after its recent $9 million renovation. The Randall Museum, a one-of-a-kind art and science education center, reopens to the public on Sunday, February 11th, 2018. The renovation project brings new features to the museum including a state-of-the-art STEM lab, geology and zoology exhibits, an elevator, and a cafe, as well as updates to the live animal exhibit, science and ceramics studios, classrooms, and the first floor lobby. To celebrate this occasion, the Department and RMF will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a special family festival with free art and science activities, live entertainment, and more.

“The Randall Museum offers an amazing experience for our City’s youth, and I am excited to see its doors open to the public once again,” said Acting Mayor London Breed. “For more than 65 years, this museum has provided a place where children can foster their love for science, natural history and the arts. With these new renovations, it will continue that wonderful tradition for generations to come.”

“The Randall Museum is a community treasure, especially for San Francisco’s children and their families, and I’m so happy that it’s reopening after its well-deserved renovation,” said State Senator Scott Wiener, who secured the City’s general fund to help support Randall Museum’s renovation as a former member of the Board of Supervisors. “Congratulations and thank you to everyone involved in this true team effort, especially the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the Friends of the Randall Museum, who I recently honored in the State Legislature for their tremendous work to support this wonderful museum.”

Under the jurisdiction of the Recreation and Park Department, the Randall Museum is a free-of-charge nature and culture museum located in Corona Heights Park that receives over 100,000 visitors per year. The Randall is intended to be a place that inspires an interest and curiosity in the sciences, arts, and natural history. As part of this mission, the museum provides exhibits, classes, workshops, presentations, special events, and many other hands-on learning activities for children and adults.

“We are excited to celebrate this amazing transformation of Randall Museum thanks to the support from RMF, our city leaders, and community members,” said Phil Ginsburg, SF Rec and Parks’ General Manager. “We welcome kids and their families from all neighborhoods across the City to join us, and enjoy all the great learning opportunities that we offer.”

In partnership with Randall Museum Friends, SF Rec & Park Department renovated Randall Museum facilities with the help of a $5.5 million grant from the California State Parks’ Nature Education Facilities Program (NEFP), significant Rec and Park support along with additional funding from the City’s General Fund secured by former District 8 Supervisor, now State Senator Scott Wiener, and private and public donations from RMF’s Revitalize the Randall campaign. Through the Friends’ campaign, support came from hundreds of community members, including families, neighbors, and the philanthropic community. Local and national foundations and corporate donors include: the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund, Google.org, the Bothin Foundation, and the San Francisco Community Challenge Grant program.

“The Friends have been proud to collaborate with RPD on such an important project and are thrilled to have the Randall reopen its doors to the public after much anticipation,” said Randall Museum Friends Board President Tara Holmes. “We know the San Francisco community will enjoy the new and improved facility, and we look forward to this next chapter in the museum’s history.”

NEFP Grant funding provided seismic upgrades for portions of the facility and brought the site up to American Disability Act (ADA) standards. The interior renovation included the consolidation and rearrangement of interior rooms in compliance with ADA measures. A concession area was added to allow visitors to extend their stay at the facility. Building systems such as mechanical, plumbing and electrical, including low voltage system also were modernized. Interior equipment, materials and finishes have been upgraded.

Moreover, located in the lobby is a new kinetic sculpture by local artist Ben Trautman. Commissioned by the San Francisco Arts Commission with Art Enrichment funds generated by the Museum renovation, Flight is a counterweighted mobile that is a delicate balance of organic and mechanical forms. The physics of structure and balance allow it to capture a small amount of energy causing it to move with fluidity and grace, like a bird in flight soaring seemingly without effort.

“Ben Trautman’s mobile is the perfect marriage of art, science and design and a wonderful new addition to the beautifully renovated Randall Museum,” says Director of Cultural Affairs Tom DeCaigny.

Designed through a joint venture between two noted San Francisco architecture firms, Pfau Long Architecture and Kuth/Ranieri, the renovation has increased programmable space by 30% within the same footprint while incorporating interactive habitat-based exhibits and dramatically transforming every community gathering place and classroom. Honoring the Randall Museum’s environmental mission, sustainable and green building design elements were implemented throughout the process. These environmentally responsible practices include using recycled/reclaimed materials and certified wood, installing low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient lighting, sourcing materials from local manufacturers, repurposing onsite materials within the project site, and recycling 75% of construction debris.

“I love this community museum and the way it has served generations of San Franciscans,” said Liz Ranieri, principal of Kuth/Ranieri. “It was really about enhancing what the museum already had: we reconfigured the building to nearly double the size of the exhibit space. It’s been a real pleasure to revitalize this rich local resource and help bring its unique hands-on learning approach into the 21st century for many more generations to enjoy.”

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Background and Contact Info

Randall Museum Upon Reopening
The Randall Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm. Admission is free. The mission of the museum, a facility of the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, is to inspire creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning about the world around us. To advance this mission, the museum offers an integrated program of arts and sciences to children, youth, and adults, with opportunities for hands-on learning and recreation focused on the cultures and environments of the San Francisco Bay Area. Learn more at www.randallmuseum.org or by calling (415) 554-9600.

San Francisco Recreation and Park Department
The mission of SFRPD is to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks, and preserve the environment for the well-being of our diverse community. Learn more at www.sfrecpark.org.

Randall Museum FriendsRandall Museum Friends (RMF), incorporated in 1958, is the private non-profit partner of the Randall Museum. Its mission is to raise funds and advocate on behalf of the Randall Museum. RMF and SFRPD, with a memorandum of understanding codifying their relationship, provide a shining example of a public-private partnership that truly works. To contact RMF Administrative Director Nathan Robinson, call (415) 554-9681.